Oak

The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of
several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus (from
Latin "oak tree"). The genus is native to the northern hemisphere, and
includes deciduous and evergreen species extending from cold latitudes
to tropical Asia and the Americas.

Oaks are hardwood trees. Oak wood has a density of about 0.75 g/cm³,
great strength and hardness, and is very resistant to insect and fungal
attack because of its high tannin content. It also has very attractive
grain markings, particularly when quarter-sawn. Wide, quarter-sawn
boards of oak have been prized since the Middle Ages for use in interior
panelling of prestigious buildings and in the construction of fine
furniture. Oak wood, from Quercus robur and Q. petraea, was used in
Europe for the construction of ships until the 19th century, and was the
principal timber used in the construction of European timber-framed
buildings. Today oakwood is still commonly used for furniture making and
flooring, timber frame buildings, and for veneer production.